1. Technical Field
This invention relates to electronic circuits, and more particularly, to digital-to-analog converters.
2. Background Description
Digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are well known in the art of electronics. A DAC is a circuit configured to convert received digital numbers into analog currents or voltages. When a sequence of digital numbers is applied to a DAC, the DAC may output an analog signal. In one common application of a DAC, digital audio information may be provided to a DAC (or DACs) to generate audio signals suitable for audio playback. Many other DAC applications exist as well.
DACs come in a wide variety. Some commonly used DAC types include the binary weighted R-2R DAC, the thermometer-coded DAC, pulse width modulators, among others. Performance of a DAC may be defined by several different parameters. One parameter of a DAC is monotonicity, which refers to the ability of the DAC output to follow the same direction as a sequence of digital values input into the DAC. Another parameter of a DAC is its dynamic range, which measures the difference between the largest and smallest signals the DAC can produce. Resolution is another parameter of a DAC, which is the number of possible output levels that can be produced. Resolution is related to the number of bits the DAC may receive at its input. For example, if a DAC has six inputs, its resolution is 26, or 64 possible output levels. Resolution is often times referred to in terms of the number of bits that may be input into the DAC. For example, the six-input DAC previously discussed may be referred to as having a resolution of six bits.